Apps

"If you already have comics in a digital format, Comic Zeal is simply the best way to read them on your iPad."

Comic Zeal is currently the best app for reading comics on your iPad. Whether you're a member of the mighty Marvel marauders, a dedicated DC-for-lifer, or someone who prefers the alternative and independent sequential art scene, if you already have your comics in a digital format -- especially if you bought those massive Marvel DVDs containing all the early issues of Avengers, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, X-Men, etc. in PDF -- Comic Zeal should be your go-to reader.

I have a very short attention span when it comes to accessories for my iPhone and iPad, and my most used accessories reflect that. To really keep my attention an accessory has to stand out from what I already own. If it looks like something I already have or doesn't provide any additional features, I probably won't give it a second look. Here are the ones I've found to be functional and versatile enough to keep around.

I generally keep things pretty simple and straightforward when it comes to my 2011 most-used accessories. I stick to things that enhance functionality more than form. I think Apple's done a tremendous design job and I tend to lean more toward items that add an ability to do something or improve some part of my workflow (or enjoyment). Here are a few of my favorites.

SoundHound: Unlimited music recognition! Featuring the world's fastest, most accurate music identification, exclusive singing search, and now: free unlimited LiveLyrics* for over 1 million of your iTunes tracks in SoundHound Player.

WritePad for iPad by PhatWare has been upgraded to 6.0 and is now equipped with a new Multilingual handwriting recognition engine that supports English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

Like Chris Oldroyd, my most used iPhone and iPad accessories consists of a very short list. There are only have a few that I regularly used during the past year. Most of what I used was for device protection and power supply, with the exception of one accessory that enhanced my iPad experience for specific scenarios.

Numberlys is an interactive story about the origins of the alphabet from Moonbot Studios. In a world where everything and everyoone are named after numbers, five friends embark on a mission to create something different - the alphabet.

I just finished watching, reading, and interacting with Numberlys and it's a fantastic little story! The graphics are great and the narrator is just as awesome. Moonbot Studios did a great job of making this a hybrid between a book, movie, and game. It's no question that any child would enjoy Numberlys, but most adults will too!

Powermat had a decent presence at CES 2012, not only by showing off their first Duracell co-branded iPhone 4 case and wireless charging pad, but also announcing their first app. Powermat has partnered with Madison Square Garden so that when you place your iPhone onto one of the mats built into the counters in the box seats, the app will give you the option to check in via Facebook Places. While that's cool, and sets the stage for a future cross-section of location-based social networks and wireless charging, the real function of the Powermat app is to find charging locations with augmented reality; just point your iPhone's camera in any given direction, and you'll see which spots have a Powermat installed. Favorite places don't have one? You can also use the app to vote on locations you'd like to see sporting some charging mats. Powermat can then use those votes to convince businesses to buy a few. Of course, the app will also issue a notification when you're running low on battery life, and prompt you to launch into a search. One of the more interesting uses for Powermats in businesses is the notion of monetizing charging, so you'd have to pay another buck or two to activate the charging mat. Sure, it seems like a bit of a money grab, especially if Powermat ends up skimming some of that revenue for themselves, but certainly an interesting opportunity for business owners of call kinds. Sure, it's handy having a few mats around the house to charge, but it's when you're out on the town that you're likely to need a charge the most, so I'm really excited for these to become a more common sight. The Duracell partnership is cool firstly because it puts stand-alone wirelessly-charging batteries on the horizon, but also because Duracell is a early member of the Qi Consortium, so Powermat may eventually lead the charge in a global interoperable standard for the technology. Smartphone manufacturers will definitely be much more likely to start building in receivers if Powermat has managed to sell a bunch of compatible mats to the public already. The new iPhone 4 case, charging puck, pad, and app are due out in the Spring. Hit the jump for a video rundown (sorry for the obnoxious lighting).

When I was asked to put together a list of my most-used accessories of 2011, it got me thinking that I actually don't use very many accessories at all. In total I have four that I use on a regular basis. Here's a little bit about each one and why they are special to me.

ITGO CALORIE: The world's first iOS Interval Trainer to feature dual music playlists and calorie information based on your exercise, in addition to the standard ITGO features of visual, beep, vibration interval change alerts and automatic fast and slow iPod music playlists switching.